2018 -- H 7628

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LC004659

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- DUTIES OF UTILITIES AND

CARRIERS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Morgan, Nardolillo, Quattrocchi, Mendonca, and
Roberts

     Date Introduced: February 14, 2018

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 39-2-1.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-2 entitled "Duties of

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Utilities and Carriers" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     39-2-1.2. Utility base rate -- Advertising, demand-side management and renewables.

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     (a) In addition to costs prohibited in § 39-1-27.4(b), no public utility distributing or

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providing heat, electricity, or water to or for the public shall include as part of its base rate any

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expenses for advertising, either direct or indirect, that promotes the use of its product or service,

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or is designed to promote the public image of the industry. No public utility may furnish support

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of any kind, direct or indirect, to any subsidiary, group, association, or individual for advertising

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and include the expense as part of its base rate. Nothing contained in this section shall be deemed

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as prohibiting the inclusion in the base rate of expenses incurred for advertising, informational or

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educational in nature, that is designed to promote public safety conservation of the public utility's

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product or service. The public utilities commission shall promulgate such rules and regulations as

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are necessary to require public disclosure of all advertising expenses of any kind, direct or

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indirect, and to otherwise effectuate the provisions of this section.

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     (b) Effective as of January 1, 2008, and for a period of fifteen (15) years thereafter, each

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electric-distribution company shall include a charge per kilowatt-hour delivered to fund demand-

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side management programs. The 0.3 mills per kilowatt-hour delivered to fund renewable energy

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programs shall remain in effect until December 31, 2022. The electric-distribution company shall

 

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establish and, after July 1, 2007, maintain, two (2) separate accounts, one for demand-side

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management programs (the "demand-side account"), which shall be funded by the electric

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demand-side charge and administered and implemented by the distribution company, subject to

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the regulatory reviewing authority of the commission, and one for renewable-energy programs,

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which shall be administered by the Rhode Island commerce corporation pursuant to § 42-64-13.2

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and shall be held and disbursed by the distribution company as directed by the Rhode Island

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commerce corporation for the purposes of developing, promoting, and supporting renewable

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energy programs.

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     During the time periods established in this subsection, the commission may, in its

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discretion, after notice and public hearing, increase the sums for demand-side management and

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renewable resources. In addition, the commission shall, after notice and public hearing, determine

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the appropriate charge for these programs. The office of energy resources, and/or the

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administrator of the renewable energy programs, may seek to secure for the state an equitable and

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reasonable portion of renewable energy credits or certificates created by private projects funded

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through those programs. As used in this section, "renewable-energy resources" shall mean: (1)

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Power generation technologies, as defined in § 39-26-5, "eligible renewable-energy resources",

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including off-grid and on-grid generating technologies located in Rhode Island, as a priority; (2)

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Research and development activities in Rhode Island pertaining to eligible renewable-energy

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resources and to other renewable-energy technologies for electrical generation; or (3) Projects and

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activities directly related to implementing eligible renewable-energy resources projects in Rhode

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Island. Technologies for converting solar energy for space heating or generating domestic hot

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water may also be funded through the renewable-energy programs. Fuel cells may be considered

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an energy efficiency technology to be included in demand-sided management programs. Special

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rates for low-income customers in effect as of August 7, 1996, shall be continued, and the costs of

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all of these discounts shall be included in the distribution rates charged to all other customers.

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Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting an electric-distribution company from

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offering any special rates or programs for low-income customers which are not in effect as of

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August 7, 1996, subject to the approval by the commission.

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     (1) The renewable energy investment programs shall be administered pursuant to rules

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established by the Rhode Island commerce corporation. Said rules shall provide transparent

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criteria to rank qualified renewable-energy projects, giving consideration to:

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     (i) The feasibility of project completion;

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     (ii) The anticipated amount of renewable energy the project will produce;

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     (iii) The potential of the project to mitigate energy costs over the life of the project; and

 

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     (iv) The estimated cost per kilowatt hour (kwh) of the energy produced from the project.

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     (c) [Deleted by P.L. 2012, ch. 241, art. 4, § 14].

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     (d) The chief executive officer of the commerce corporation is authorized and may enter

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into a contract with a contractor for the cost-effective administration of the renewable-energy

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programs funded by this section. A competitive bid and contract award for administration of the

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renewable-energy programs may occur every three (3) years and shall include, as a condition, that

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after July 1, 2008, the account for the renewable-energy programs shall be maintained and

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administered by the commerce corporation as provided for in subsection (b) of this section.

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     (e) Effective January 1, 2007, and for a period of sixteen (16) years thereafter, each gas-

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distribution company shall include, with the approval of the commission, a charge per deca therm

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delivered to fund demand-side management programs (the "gas demand-side charge"), including,

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but not limited to, programs for cost-effective energy efficiency, energy conservation, combined

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heat and power systems, and weatherization services for low-income households.

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     (f) Each gas company shall establish a separate account for demand-side management

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programs (the "gas demand-side account") that shall be funded by the gas demand-side charge

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and administered and implemented by the distribution company, subject to the regulatory

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reviewing authority of the commission. The commission may establish administrative

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mechanisms and procedures that are similar to those for electric demand-side management

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programs administered under the jurisdiction of the commission and that are designed to achieve

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cost-effectiveness and high, life-time savings of efficiency measures supported by the program.

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     (g) The commission may, if reasonable and feasible, except from this demand-side

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management charge:

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     (i) Gas used for distribution generation; and

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     (ii) Gas used for the manufacturing processes, where the customer has established a self-

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directed program to invest in and achieve best-effective energy efficiency in accordance with a

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plan approved by the commission and subject to periodic review and approval by the

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commission, which plan shall require annual reporting of the amount invested and the return on

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investments in terms of gas savings.

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     (h) The commission may provide for the coordinated and/or integrated administration of

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electric and gas demand-side management programs in order to enhance the effectiveness of the

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programs. Such coordinated and/or integrated administration may after March 1, 2009, upon the

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recommendation of the office of energy resources, be through one or more third-party entities

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designated by the commission pursuant to a competitive selection process.

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     (i) Effective January 1, 2007, the commission shall allocate from demand-side

 

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management gas and electric funds authorized pursuant to this section, an amount not to exceed

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two percent (2%) of such funds on an annual basis for the retention of expert consultants, and

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reasonable administration costs of the energy efficiency and resources management council

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associated with planning, management, and evaluation of energy-efficiency programs, renewable-

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energy programs, system reliability least-cost procurement, and with regulatory proceedings,

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contested cases, and other actions pertaining to the purposes, powers, and duties of the council,

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which allocation may by mutual agreement, be used in coordination with the office of energy

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resources to support such activities.

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     (j) Effective January 1, 2016, the commission shall annually allocate from the

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administrative funding amount allocated in (i) from the demand-side management program as

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described in subsection (i) as follows: fifty percent (50%) for the purposes identified in

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subsection (i) and fifty percent (50%) annually to the office of energy resources for activities

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associated with planning, management, and evaluation of energy-efficiency programs, renewable-

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energy programs, system reliability, least-cost procurement, and with regulatory proceedings,

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contested cases, and other actions pertaining to the purposes, powers, and duties of the office of

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energy resources.

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     (k) On April 15, of each year, the office and the council shall submit to the governor, the

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president of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives, separate financial and

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performance reports regarding the demand-side management programs, including the specific

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level of funds that were contributed by the residential, municipal, and commercial and industrial

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sectors to the overall programs; the businesses, vendors, and institutions that received funding

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from demand-side management gas and electric funds used for the purposes in this section; and

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the businesses, vendors, and institutions that received the administrative funds for the purposes in

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subsections (i) and (j). These reports shall be posted electronically on the websites of the office of

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energy resources and the energy efficiency and resources management council.

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     (l) On or after August 1, 2015, at the request of the Rhode Island infrastructure bank,

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each electric-distribution company, except for the Pascoag Utility District and Block Island

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Power Company, shall remit two percent (2%) of the amount of the 2014 electric demand-side

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charge collections to the Rhode Island infrastructure bank.

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     (m) On or after August 1, 2015, at the request of the Rhode Island infrastructure bank,

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each gas-distribution company shall remit two percent (2%) of the amount of the 2014 gas

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demand-side charge collections to the Rhode Island infrastructure bank.

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     (n) As a result of the enactment of the federal tax reduction in accordance with the Tax

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Cuts and Jobs Act contained in Pub. L. 115-97 and commencing on May 1, 2019, and every May

 

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1 thereafter, all public utilities regulated pursuant to this title shall file a rate request seeking a

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decrease in the base rate charge of the public utility reflecting the amount of tax savings resulting

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from any tax law changes relating to the tax legislation effective January 1, 2018, and thereafter.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC004659

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- DUTIES OF UTILITIES AND

CARRIERS

***

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     This act would require all public utilities regulated by the public utilities commission to

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file a rate request for a decrease in their base rates to reflect any federal tax savings as a result of

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the enactment of federal tax legislation commencing May 1, 2019, and every May 1 thereafter.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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